A Well-Deserved Mom’s Day Out

Stay at home moms are awesome. But we need to be reminded once in a while because we are often too caught up with so many things that we forget to take care of ourselves.

It’s great to know that Sunlife Financial Philippines is there to reward super moms in Davao City! They organized a Saturday afternoon sesh of pampering, yummy food, and mommy sharing sessions at Park Inn by Radisson Davao exclusively for moms! I also got the chance to enjoy it with my Homeschooling Warrior Moms and DDI Mommy Bloggers.

The activity was filled with so many prizes, freebies, and surprises! I feel grateful to know that I share the same struggles with other moms. One of the highlights of our Mom’s Day Out was the inspiring talk of Ms. Michele Alignay on Balanced Motherhood.

My Key Takeaways on Balanced Motherhood

Do you agree that MOM means Master of Multitasking? Let’s face it. It’s a gift but also a curse, right? We always feel that 24 hours is not enough to finish everything that we need to deliver to our kids (I’m a mom of four, by the way), to our home and to our hubbies. It takes a lot of time management for us to do everything in one day and before we know it, the day is about to end. We get frustrated for not doing everything we need to do in a day. No wonder some mommies would get grumpy and irritable even in small requests. Do you think you are giving enough love to your family? I believe in the statement “we cannot give what we don’t have”. Michele’s talk was focused on having a life-balance as a mom, a wife, and an awesome human being. We were all programmed to have a certain standard on what a good mom is but being too focused on trying to achieve those “standards” will only make us more depressed. Why not ditch those limiting beliefs and stop judging yourself? Start loving yourself by taking care of your well-being first before attending to all the needs of your family. Have some ME time each day. I have learned to meditate at least 20 minutes a day since last month and it gave me the best results ever! I am now calmer and grounded. I can now tame my thoughts and tongue, minimized snapping and have a lighter feeling when letting go of chores that I cannot do.

MEDITATE:

We were all programmed to have a certain standard on what a good mom is but being too focused on trying to achieve those “standards” will only make us more depressed. Why not remove those limiting beliefs and stop judging yourself! Start loving yourself by taking care of your well-being first before attending to all the needs of your family. Have some ME time each day. Assign a spot where you can silently reflect. I have learned to start my day with a 20-minute meditation/quiet prayer and it gave me the best results ever! I am now calmer and grounded. I can now tame my thoughts and tongue, minimized snapping and have a lighter feeling when letting go of chores that I cannot do. I stress less and fret less.

DITCH THE DISH:

Who says choosing to wash that mountain of dishes is better than giggle time with kids? YOUR JUDGEMENTAL SELF! Stop worrying about other people’s expectations. Tame that Ego inside telling you don’t deserve to rest. Stop worrying about non-essential things and start enjoying quality time with kids. The dishes can wait until tomorrow! You don’t need to skip sleep just to finish all the household chores! No Yaya on a Sunday? Dial that number and have your food delivered! Don’t stress yourself. They can only be kids once and you wouldn’t trade those precious moments with them over a pile of dishes, won’t you? Hit the sack early with everybody and wake up even more refreshed.

PAMPER YOURSELF:

Mommies, I felt that guilt before. Not going to a massage because of this and that, not pampering your nails because it’s just “luho”. And the list of all the judgments and guilt reasons continue. We need to feel good about ourselves. If having “kilay is life” is only a dream, make it a reality! Put that red lipstick on, dab that blusher on. Dress well, look good and feel good. Subscribe to that gym membership that has long been written on your to-do list. Enroll and be consistent in that yoga class. A healthy body is your gift to yourself. Your kids will be proud of you. Your husband would definitely love you more! Take care of yourself inside out and you will attract more positivity in all aspects of your life!

DATE THE HUBBY:

We are so busy with so many things that we take our partner’s needs for granted. When hubby asks for a surprise date, drop what you are doing and have that date! Spending at least a few hours in a week of undisturbed couple time will help flourish the relationship. Set that date on your calendar and commit to giving your undivided attention to him. Put your cell phone in silent mode. If you have smaller kids, have some arrangements with in-laws to look after them while you are having your most needed date. Never ever feel guilty of doing that regularly. Stop listening to “must-haves” and “should-haves”. In the end, those judgments will not help you get your sanity back.

GO OUT WITH GIRLFRIENDS:

Another way of achieving that balance is spending some time with positive and affirming friends. Do things together. Share your experiences together. Laugh out loud! Believe me, it will keep your balance!

SERVE:

Now, this is a bonus. 🙂 I have learned that living a life of service not only to our family, gives us a feeling of fulfillment and satisfaction. I have achieved this harmony and balance in my life when I included this on my list. I do it with my kids too! I want to train them young to give selfless service without expecting any reward but smiles on people’s faces.

You can also add to this list. Whatever you think that would make you happier, healthier and more loving!

PLANNING YOUR CHILDREN’S FUTURE

Sunlife Cluster Head, Mylene Almonte also shared a few tips on preparing for our child’s future. She presented the future of Education and stressed the importance of sending our children to reputable schools. She also shared a lot of options on how to save for our children’s education. Giving our children the right tools will definitely prepare them for their future!

Now, are we doing the right thing? Have a peek at this short video that Sunlife #Sunshorts prepared for every mom

Tomorrow morning when you wake up, don’t forget to stand in front of the mirror and give yourself a positive talk. You are worthy, mommy!